


Perfectly in sync (yet off the beat)

by FixerRefutation



Series: Ouma Kokichi's Theory of 'Happiness.' [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Piano, Sad with a Happy Ending, Your lie in brand spankin new drv3, is this like your lie in april, probably, read it to know it, warm and fuzzy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-03 10:13:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14566806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixerRefutation/pseuds/FixerRefutation
Summary: When Kaede first walks into her lab, she notices the most unlikely person sitting there, playing a song she knows very well.





	1. We hurt each other (over and over again)

Kaede had already met everyone in the school, from the energetic Kaito to the lazy Himiko, and so out of sheer curiosity, she decided to look for her Ultimate Lab, which was obviously the one with music themes on the first floor. However, as soon as she approached the door, she heard a familiar song she easily recognized as Der Flohwalzer, a beginner's piece. It was clumsy and obviously just sightread, but she appreciated their efforts.

She slowly, slowly creaked open the door to see which Ultimate was playing piano. However, as soon as the door widened, the playing stops, and she's afraid that she was discovered. Relief filled her as the person simply muttered to themselves about how that was the wrong note, and the playing started up again. Well, she thought, better to reveal yourself now, Kaede. Opening the door slowly, she found the most unlikely person sitting on the seat.

Ouma Kokichi, the Ultimate Supreme Leader. (sometimes, she wonders if his talent is actually the Ultimate Liar, but then realizes that he would probably spout a lie about how he was raised by some Gothic gambler that taught him everything he knew.)

She opens the door, and Ouma-kun stops completely, dead-still, frozen hands poised over the piano properly (she wonders if he had ever played piano before) He looked up from the sheet music she was sure he was poring over before she made her presence know. "Ahh, Akamatsu-chan~!" he smiles, as if he hadn't been caught off-guard at all.  "I was just looking at all this nonsense! It really looks weird!" It was a flimsy lie and he knew it, with note sheets scattered everywhere and the fact he was already at the lab to begin with.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Saihara-chan?~" A careful diversion, she notices. But Kaede’s ever instant itch to play the piano grew , and so she tentatively took a seat next to him, playing the melody of the song he was trying so hard to play, soft and clear, warm notes like a lazy summer day, until it speeds up, engulfing them both into a little world, hills enveloping the horizon, water trickling from an unknown source. Flowers, still buds, and warm yellows and burning reds and sweet pinks and bright orange warm them both. The moon slowly rose, the water pooled around them, cool and refreshing happiness, emotions.

Kokichi watches on, entranced in childlike amazement. Kaede smiles, proud, as she offers to teach him in the way of the piano. Kokichi's admiration for her seems to go up several notches. Together, they play until dark.

She felt like she had become closer to him today.

Kokichi is a fast learner. Shuichi likes watching them, and applauding Kokichi-kun's progress, the latter often blushing in embarrassment. Kaede asks Kokichi why he was so interested in piano.

"It's.. really pretty, Akamatsu-chan~!"

Amami visits, and he sits down to listen along with Saihara, and everyone laughs and smiles and teases each other, and they talk until dark. (they don't want this day to end. They wanted to cherish those moments forever) 

  In a matter of days after intensive training (Shuichi has to drag them off to sleep), Kaede and Kokichi finished Der Flohwalzer, and in a matter of pretty much no time, were going to begin in Clair De Lune. Kaede smiled sheepishly. 

"I know, i know that it's pretty..er, really, advanced, but.. I want you to play it for whenever you feel lonely!" 

"But I'll have you and Saihara-chan and Amami-chan, Kaede-chan. Why would I need anyone else?"

She doesn't answer that question.

 (he should've known.)


	2. Without Her, without him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ..

Amami-chan's corpse is discovered.

One friend is gone. 

Kaede-chan is found out as the culprit. Her execution is named after the very first song he played with her. He stands, behind the shocked, traumatized crowd, their attention focused on Saihara-chan, who was the closest to Kaede-chan (not him). He'll never forget the haunting melody that plagues his dreams at night. He never plays that song again.

2 friends dead.

He stays in the company of the piano for a while. Practicing that song they never finished. Saihara-chan visits him, sits with him, listens to the music she loved so much.

He cries with him. 

Sometimes, he wonders if he'll lose Saihara-chan too. Did the world think he didn't deserve friends? 

He plays other songs, but he's progressing to the middle of that gentle song she enjoyed so much. 

More people visit him. Sometimes to get him to eat (Kirumi-san, dead and gone), sometimes to focus on their talents (Tenko-san and Angie-san, gone gone gone), usually to listen, to get away from reality. (Ryoma,  ~~Rantaro~~ , Gonta, and so many others, dead dead dead.) 

Sometimes, he thinks the world really doesn't want him to have friends. 

He's reaching the end of that song, and he thinks he plays it well. He invites Saihara-chan over to listen. 

but Saihara-chan doesn't dwell on the past. He is dragged off by Momota-chan and Harumaki-chan, and again he is alone. 

Last friend gone, slipping through his fingers. 

The piano was his only company. The fourth trial was long past. Gonta and Miu were dead as dead could be. he wishes he'd died in Gonta's place.

One day, he reaches the end of the song she loved so much, and in excitement, he leaps up and laughs. 

Then he realizes-

(he doesn't have anybody to share this with.)

_"...but I want you to play it for whenever you feel lonely!"_

And he plays the whole song through again.

 

\----

 

This was the end. Momota-chan looks at him with unreadable eyes.

...he doesn't want to die. He wants to show Saihara-chan the song Kaede-chan loved so much, wants to play it for everyone so he could take their loneliness and transfer it to his song, (so they would never feel lonely ever  _ever_  again)

..but she was dead. She was already dead. She wasn't going to play a song with him ever again. She was the past. Saihara-chan didn't dwell on the past. 

But one last time, he would have liked to play Clair De Lune like she had. When she played it, it felt exactly as she described it- he could feel the cool breeze on his face, the moon's reflection on water, wavy and distorted but in some way, calm and smooth. It was her world, then it was his. Because the reason why so many visited the Ultimate Pianist's lab was because Kokichi, when immersed in his melodies, pulled everyone into his own personal world. It wasn't because they mourned Kaede- no, not just that-

-It was because when Kokichi played, he filled the room with life, warmth, smiles.

Comfort.

(something he would never have, but could always give away)

He filled the world with calm meadows, beautiful waterfalls. That was far away from reality, of course. Just like Kaede would've wanted. Kokichi would die..

..but maybe he would see everyone again. He would play the melodies everyone enjoyed, and every day would be happy. This was his final wish. 

This plan was all for them. 

and when he sees everyone..

he'll say, "I'm sorry."

One last time, Kokichi Ouma turns his head. 

  
"At least I wasn't boring, right?"

 

_(the press closes in on him)_

(he'll never notice the tears running down his face)

 

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

 

_"Hey, idiot shota."_

Miu. (..thank you. I'm sorry.)

_"Gonta says hello!"_

Gonta. (..I'm so sorry.)

_"Welcome, Kokichi. You..do still like Panta, correct?"_

Mom. (It's been a while. sorry.)

_"hey, kid."_

Ryoma. (I'm sorry I couldn't give you a reason to live.)

_"Atua wants you to play with us~!"_

Angie. (You crazy person. I'm sorry. You had good intentions, didn't you?)

_"Hmph, hello degenerate male. How's Himiko doing?"_

Tenko. ( **Could we be friends, in another life?** ..I was right there in that room with you. Why wasn't I smart enough to save you?)

_"Hello, Kokichi. Humanity is still alive? Fascinating."_

Korekiyo. (How did you get into the afterlife, again?)

_"Kokichi, nice to see you again- it's..been a while, hasn't it?"_

Amami. (I'm sorry, so, so, sorry- If someone had just killed me instead-I gave them the perfect opportunity-)

_"..Hi, Kokichi-kun. Did you.. finish the song I gave you?"_

_Clair De Lune._ (Thank you,.. Kaede.)

Kokichi turns, eyes filling wide with tears-

Kaede smiles at him, gently, the same kind eyes she always had when explaining to him a note he didn't understand or listening to his lies.

He turns to her, and hugs her, tears staining her clothes as all his friends wrap their arms around him.

 

 And he wouldn’t trade this happiness for anything else. 


	3. it's empty.

What occurs during the fifth trial has Shuichi's mind reeling.

Kokichi was gone.

Kokichi and Kaede were gone.

...the pianist's lab..

...was empty now, was it..?

Shuichi exits his room.

 _"Hey, Shuichi-chan~! I finally finished it! I finally finished Kaede-chan's favorite song! Do you.. wanna play with me?"_  
_"Ah, i'm really sorry Ouma-kun, I promised to train with Momota-kun and Harukawa-san.."_  
_"Hell yeah! It was a promise, am I right, sidekick?"_

_"..then do you all want to come with me?"_

_"..You're lying. again."_

_".."_

_"..yeah, it was all a lie~ Did I get you good, Saihara-chan?"_  
_"Heh, yeah, Ouma..."_

_"Well~ I'm going to the lab~ come when you're done~!"_

Shuichi approaches the lab. His shoulders tighten, and he almost expects music to be playing as he opens the door.

he isn’t here.

Instead, he is met with the same soft melody he heard Kokichi and Kaede play.

_Kaede smiles, sitting in the seat next to Ouma, watching as he plays Der Flohwalzer and Amami ruffling Ouma's hair as Shuichi and Kaede tease and joke around with Ouma and Amami._

_Kaede was laughing, and pulling everyone in for a hug, and everyone relishes every second before the killing game begins._

He isn’t here.

Suddenly, Kokichi stands next to him. Dressed in white like he always was.

Like an angel.

He isn’t here isn't here isn’t isn’t isn’t -

"Hey, Saihara-chan, do you wanna listen to me play..?"

Even though Shuichi knows he's a ghost, he can't stop the _yes_ from coming out his mouth.

Kokichi smiles, _he looks so alive, even in death_  and he looks like a bright, happy child as he skips over to the piano and poises his hands delicately.  Shuichi almost expects the piano to play. 

He places his hands down.

And a melody, meek and small, clear, sweet, happy, yellow-blue-green-white-grey-light, rising, floating, like little constellations-

and he can see everyone.

_The world is awash in bright, warm, cool colors, and Shuichi can see the lanterns slowly floating in the sky underneath a flower-filled field, everyone under a lone tree laughing and having a picnic under the stars._

_Angie paints on the tree as Kirumi serves everyone beverages (ranging from iced tea to hot chocolate)._

_Rantaro is reading an adventure book, holding it out for Ryoma and Gonta to read._

_Miu is laughing excitedly as she rises up into the air with a jet pack on, reminiscent to Kiibo's design._

_Kaito and Tenko smile and tell everyone that they'll wait for Maki and Himiko._

_Korekiyo is tied to the very same tree Angie is painting on._

_And.. Kaede and Kokichi are sitting together, playing Clair De Lune, the melody floating into the air, and Shuichi sees it all._

He smiles.

He sits where he usually used to sit, and Kokichi grins, ending the song, flushed with happiness. Kaede ruffles his hair, and he huffs at her. She laughs, and smiles over at Shuichi, like back then.

And Kaede says, "Don't visit us so soon, Shuichi." 

Kokichi adds on, "You still got 70 years to live, oldie! And hey.. can you end the killing game soon?"

He nods, determined.

Then, the world evaporates into nothingness, and Shuichi can hear the ghost of a whisper, 

"That's my wish."

Shuichi walks to the piano slowly, hesitantly.

He sits. 

Shuichi raises his hands, poised like Kokichi's.

A simple melody plays.

(Kiibo sits in the Inventor's lab, and turns when he hears a familiar voice. No one.)

(Himiko doesn't know why, but she feels a comforting embrace of an old friend, and it lingers, even now.)

(Maki can't understand why she feels like she's being draped in a warm coat, or why it feels so warm right now. It’s a comforting feeling, and she holds on to it as long as she can, looking up at the stars.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..Thank you.


End file.
